"Tell me, where do people go after they die?" A light, airy voice echoed in the dimly lit room.

Xiao Jingran looked at the little wild beast he had tamed in his arms with surprise, and smiled unrestrainedly, "I don't know where other people go when they die, but even if you die, you will still be with me."

Even if Jinxiu dies, she will still be his; nothing can take her away from him.

"What? Do you want to die?" Xiao Jingran's voice turned cold. He reached out and lifted Shen Ye's chin, saying viciously, "Bai Jinxiu, let me tell you, even if you die and become a cold corpse, I will not let you go."

He added, "I've seen all kinds of men in the world, but I've never seen anyone like you. You're really a headache."

...

Xiao Jingran sent another person to help the doctor take care of Shen Ye. It was a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old, with thick black eyebrows and yellowish skin, but his eyes were clear and unlike the others in the villa.

The little boy's name was Sun Tiewen, and he was a very active boy. He seemed very curious about Shen Ye, always secretly watching the expression on his face, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Shen Ye had a good impression of him, so she didn't treat him like an outsider. Seeing through his thoughts, she said, "Ask whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Really." Shen Ye smiled faintly at him. He hadn't smiled in a long time, but he had smiled a few times since the child came.

"Brother...you and...you and..." He glanced timidly at Shen Ye, then lowered his head again, "What is your relationship with the warlord!"

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Shen Ye asked, puzzled.

“I heard them say that you, brother, are the warlord’s pet, something he can use to vent his frustrations in his spare time…” As he spoke, he suddenly looked up at Shen Ye, his eyes flashing with a stubborn light. “Brother, they’re just talking nonsense, aren’t they? You’re not the warlord’s pet!”

Shen Ye looked at Sun Tiewen with some surprise. No one here would say such things to him. Instead, they all looked at him with disdain. A generation of Peking Opera actresses had now become toys for a man to vent his sexual desires. Who could respect that?

Even if these people didn't witness it firsthand, it's not hard to guess the relationship between him and Xiao Jingran.

“Tiewen, they’re not talking nonsense.” Shen Ye stood up from the stool and walked to the window. Because of his drug addiction, he was now thin and frail, and his skin was so white that it reflected the sunlight. “My relationship with the warlord is exactly as they say.”

Since the little boy came, Shen Ye's mood has improved a lot. She no longer hides in the darkness all day long, but occasionally draws open the curtains to bask in the sun, feel the warmth of the sunlight, and remind herself that she is still alive.

"Tiewen, you're a good kid. Thank you for letting me know I'm still alive these past few days."

"Brother Jinxiu, Tiewen has some candy here. Eating it will make your heart feel less bitter." The boy said, taking out a milk candy from his pocket, peeling it, and putting it to Shen Ye's lips. Shen Ye smiled at him, opened his mouth, and ate it.

The sugar is really sweet, but it doesn't warm your heart.

He finally smiled from the bottom of his heart, and his smile was so beautiful.

Xiao Jingran stopped at the door, her phoenix eyes looking at the smiling man inside.

A long time ago, Bai Jinxiu smiled at him like that too.

However, that smile has been gone for a very, very long time.